Dosai

Dosai

Dosai

Veg Vegan

Thin, crispy fermented rice and urad dal crepe cooked on a hot tawa with a drizzle of sesame oil — the essential South Indian breakfast, eaten daily across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Served with coconut chutney and sambar. The plain crispy version is mastered in Chettinad homes using a specific ratio of raw and parboiled rice.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Kerala

Best for

Breakfast Lunch

Build a full meal around Dosai

Get a matched combo of sides and accents

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 10 min Total: 30 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

idli rice 1 cup Idli rice
Rice 1 cup Rice , raw
urad dal 1/2 cup Urad dal
Toor Dal 1/4 cup Toor Dal
chana dal 1/4 cup Chana dal
Poha 1/4 cup Poha
Fenugreek Seed 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seed
salt Salt , to taste
water Water , as needed
oil Oil , for cooking

Instructions

  1. 1 Rinse the idli rice, raw rice, urad dal, toor dal, and chana dal together until the water runs clear.
  2. 2 Soak the rinsed rice and dal mixture in enough water for 4-5 hours.
  3. 3 Soak the poha separately for 30 minutes before grinding.
  4. 4 Drain the water from the soaked rice and dal mixture, and grind it to a smooth batter using a wet grinder or blender, adding water as needed.
  5. 5 Grind the soaked poha and fenugreek seeds together to a smooth paste and mix it with the rice-dal batter.
  6. 6 Add salt to the batter and mix well. Allow the batter to ferment overnight or for 8-10 hours in a warm place.
  7. 7 Once fermented, stir the batter gently. If it's too thick, add a little water to reach a pouring consistency.
  8. 8 Heat a non-stick dosa pan or tawa over medium heat and lightly grease it with oil.
  9. 9 Pour a ladleful of batter onto the center of the pan and spread it outwards in a circular motion to form a thin dosai.
  10. 10 Drizzle a few drops of oil around the edges and cook until the dosai turns golden brown and crisp.
  11. 11 Flip the dosai and cook for another minute on the other side.
  12. 12 Remove from the pan and serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Tips

For a crispier dosai, ensure the batter is of the right consistency and the pan is hot enough.